Animalistic
by Boogalee99
Summary: The issue for Garfield Logan has never been accepting the animal; it's been accepting the fear and the uncertainty and the hate that arose off of others due to the animal. Warning: Slight mention of abuse in section four; not vital to story, not very present, can easily be skipped. Just skip section four and go right on to five! A five plus one fic


_One_

Garfield Logan has, unfortunately, grown used to people telling him that he's not enough.

That he's not good enough, not fast enough, not smart enough, not kind enough, not _heroic_ enough.

But there is one thing that they always tell him he has enough of.

He has plenty of animal in him.

Constantly, a barrage of voices surrounds him, telling him to curb those animalistic tendencies, telling him to mind his manners, telling him to act civilized.

As if his animal side is something to be ashamed of.

 _Not fast enough_.

That one always strikes a chord, hits him in particular, though he never understands why. He _is_ fast, can run nearly as fast as the Flashes, should he so please. The only thing is, he does so as a cheetah, not a person. As a bird, he flies even faster, can reach nearly 250 miles per hour. But he does so as a peregrine falcon, not a teenaged boy.

Is that really such a bad thing? Using his gifts to help?

 _Not fast enough_. Gar grimaces and focuses in on what Robin, leader of Omega Squad (comprised of Robin, Impulse, and Beast Boy ), is saying.

"The hostage situation is really delicate, at this point," the dark haired boy was saying, "but time is of the essence. Here's the plan." The boy took a moment and made eye contact with the other two. Quite clearly, at least in Gar's eyes, he was pressing the need for compliance.

"Impulse, you're the speed in this operation. Once I give the go-ahead, you get the girls out, as fast as you possibly can."

 _Not fast enough_.

"I'll be running interference, trying to draw as much attention my direction as possible to keep your route clear. Beast Boy-"

 _Not fast enough_.

"Guard our backs. Eye the exit and ensure that we can leave when ready."

Of course. Stuck on perimeter patrol, though Robin used much fancier language.

 _Not fast enough_.

Gar ran a hand through his green hair as his two teammates dispersed. Holding back a resigned sigh, the boy turns into a sparrow, soaring high into the rafters of the warehouse of the week. He surveys the building below, intent on doing his job correctly, no matter how dull it is. Perhaps, if he does well, next time he'll actually get to do something.

Something moves, and, without hesitating, Gar shifts into a Golden Eagle, capable of spotting a hair from more than a mile away, vision better at twenty feet than the human eye at three.

His brilliant eyes scan the floorplan, looking for anything out of place, when he sees it. A trip wire.

Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but from his bird's-eye-view, Gar can see that it is wired not to a gas tank or darts as is customary, but to crate of marbles. Odd, to be sure, but debilitating to the unsuspecting speedster.

And it happens to be placed right in said unsuspecting speedster's path.

Time seems to slow as Gar watches Bart speed ever closer. Instantly, Beast Boy shifts into a peregrine falcon, the fastest bird in the world. He immediately steeps into a dive, the massive height of the warehouse allowing him to reach the full speed of 242 miles per hour.

His _animalistic_ senses, the ones so very often criticized, tell him that the speedster is approaching, but it doesn't matter.

With a fell swoop of his wings, Gar pulls out of the dive and dismantles the trip wire with his talons in one smooth motion.

The mission continues as planned, the hostage crisis averted, with Bart getting all the credit for saving the girls, for being fast enough.

No one knows of the role Gar himself played, though he thinks that Robin suspects something.

But that's okay.

For once, Gar was fast enough.

 _Two_

Garfield Logan is constantly told that there are plenty of things he can't do.

Can't blend in, can't be stealthy, can't be strong.

Oh, and don't forget, the ever-present, _can't control his animal instinct_ s.

People seem to take one look at him, furry, green appearance at all, and think, he can't be human.

He would like that say that he's perfectly fine, that he can ignore the nay-sayers and mind his own business, but sometimes, Gar longs to be told that he _can_.

 _Can't be strong_.

The never-ending mantras of deprecation spin around his head.

Shrill screams shake him out of his inner musings. The Team is responding to a collapsed bridge. Major traffic, high potential for loss of life.

Gar likes missions like this more than any other. There's no squads, no division, just everyone doing their best to help anyone.

 _Can't be strong_.

The bioship hovers directly over the bridge as every available Team member drops. Wonder Girl, Superboy, Blue Beetle…

The Team's heavy hitters.

Shaking his head, Gar heads down into the fray.

 _Can't be strong._

It's absolute chaos. People are running, screaming, trying to read land on either side. The Team seems to be doing its best to mitigate injury, but in their haste, Gar notices a man struggling with a bike and a carriage attached to its back. Within the carriage, just beginning to tip over the ledge, Gar sees two little boys. Under normal circumstances, the man would have been able maintain control of the bike, but with the bridge collapsing beneath them…

Gar decided long ago that he would never let another family get torn apart, so long as he could help it.

Without even stopping to think about what animal he was changing into, Gar rushes toward the man, his heart racing as the carriage begins to slip even farther off the bridge.

He reaches the family as the man's fingers begin to slip. The father's panicking eyes go wide, and Gar shifts into the first animal that pops into his head.

A donkey.

A strong animal, a confident animal, a stubborn animal.

Like _hell_ , Gar can't be strong.

Heart brimming with determination, Gar bites down with a force estimated at nearing 430 pounds-per-square-inch on the handle bars of the bike, taking in the crying faces of the boys as they grip onto each other.

With an incomparable force (all owed to his widely-disgusted _animalistic nature_ ) Gar steps back on hoof at a time, bringing the boys up, up, up, into the waiting arms of their father.

Transforming back into the shape of a boy, Gar barely takes time to accept the father's thanks and escort the family to safety before he dives back into the waiting chaos, a small smirk on his face.

He can be pretty damn strong, when he wants to be.

 _Three_

People always tell Garfield Logan that there are plenty of things he won't ever do.

He won't ever grow up, won't ever change the world.

Won't ever be truly smart.

That one always stings. People seem to fail to realize that he has to be fairly intelligent to utilize his powers to their full extent.

Not just any bird will do in a situation where wings are needed. Sometimes an albatross's endurance is needed, other times a barn owl's hearing, others a peregrine falcon's speed, yet others a mocking bird's flexible vocals.

People always underestimate his mind.

 _Too animalistic_ , they say. _Too instinctual._

 _Won't ever be truly smart._

Superboy, Lagoon Boy, and Beast Boy are on a mission in Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Some magician or other had been camping with his family in the Chisos Basin Camping Ground when he had lost, of course, a very powerful magical necklace. Conner, La'gaan and Gar had been sent to investigate.

In hindsight, not one of the Team's brightest moments. Send superheroes down to find the missing object? Sure, standard operation. But don't send a detective superhero with them? Complete and utter failure.

And people thought Gar won't ever be truly smart.

Or, at least, that as the expected outcome.

Gar is willing to bet that he knows more about this specific biome than the other two boys combined. And while they sit around the campground, searching for clues from a thief that Gar is almost one hundred percent sure does not exist, Beast Boy is going to do something.

The Chisos Mountain Range sits in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America. Gar has studied every major environment of the world and has investigated all the wildlife he could find.

As a result, he knows of a particular animal who inhabits the area.

An animal known for its curiosity.

Glancing over his shoulder at his bickering teammates, Gar shakes his head. They won't even notice that he's gone. Squaring his shoulders, Gar transforms into a small, quick Desert Fox.

 _Won't ever be truly smart_.

Gar trots down a path lined with purple, blooming Mountain Laurels and tough, resilient Alligator Bark Junipers. Nimbly avoiding Prickly Pear, Strawberry Pitaya, and Devil's Walking Stick Cacti (as well as their slightly less spiny relative, the Ocotillo) Gar follows the path his senses lead him on, enjoying the vibrant life of the desert, the ruggedness of the Agave and Mesquite.

Oh yes, Gar is _definitely_ not smart. He'd like to see Robin name all these plants without an internet connection.

Finally, the fox spots his query; a small hole in the ground, with various odds and ends littered about.

A fox's hole.

This time of year, mothers are raising their young. Young foxes are naturally curious, and, as such, tend to steal whatever catches their eye.

With a snort of victory, Gar snatches the necklace off the ground from its place in the hot sun, whimpering a little at the temperature. Shaking it off, he heads back to the campsite.

Mystery solved.

Definitely _not_ smart at all.

Hmph.

 _Four_

Garfield Logan is regularly told that there are things he couldn't ever accomplish.

He couldn't be serious if his life was on the line. He couldn't have good table manners if he was dining with the Queen of England. He couldn't grow up even if Rip Van Winkle came and rapped him on the head with a rock.

And, of course, he couldn't mature.

That always confuses Gar.

He's definitely grown up, you know? Your mother dying, becoming a hero… these things tend to have that effect on one.

Oh sure, he loves to crack jokes all the time. After all, life is dull without laughter.

And sure, he never passes up an opportunity to use his pickup line (because it's absolutely golden! 'Hey girl, you wanna see my BB guns?' Cause, you know, BB equals Beast Boy and guns equals muscles? Ah, good times.)

But Garfield Logan is definitely capable of acting his age.

 _Couldn't mature_.

When the League had passed down this mission to the Team, he could practically feel the eyes on the back of his head, begging him to stay home, to let the mature, compassionate heroes deal with a delicate crisis.

A crisis due to abuse.

 _Couldn't mature._

But Gar is not an idiot. He knows that jokes just aren't good at times like this.

He also knows, however, that he can offer the victims something that no one else on the Team can.

Wholesome, unconditional love at a time when the touch of any vaguely adult-like figure can cause flinching and fear.

 _Couldn't mature_.

The instant the Bioship touches down, Gar is out the door, searching for the victim, a ten-year-old boy. As the rest of the Team disembarks behind him, Gar spots the child, huddled under a blanket, tear tracks running down his face.

Gar approaches the boy, ignoring the unease he can feel building in the heroes behind him. He knows that the only thing stopping them from crying out for him to stop is the figure before him.

 _Couldn't mature_.

Gently, slowly, Gar kneels before the boy, making sure that his motions are sure and predictable. He offers the boy a quiet small as the child watches him, and, suddenly, Beast Boy shifts.

The delighted laughter of the boy, slightly muffled by his tears, shocks the Team. They didn't know that Beast Boy had it in him.

For there, sitting in his blanket, the boy is hugging a large, green house cat half to death.

And, though the poor thing is surely getting strangled from the chokehold, it's purring.

For once, the Team realized that Gar was mature in ways that most simply couldn't understand. (Though, from then on, they did notice Nightwing, Robin, and even Batman taking especially good care of the child.)

 _Five_

Garfield Logan is told pretty consistently that there are lots of things that he shouldn't do.

He shouldn't try to be something he's not. He shouldn't try to do more than he can. He shouldn't show so much animal instinct.

He shouldn't try to save everyone.

So many "shouldn't"s that they make his head spin, trying and failing to figure out what he actually _should_ do. But there is one thing that Gar is absolutely certain of.

He shouldn't show fear.

He stands beside the Team, watching the gathering alien force as they prepared to attack.

 _Shouldn't try to save everyone_.

The first wave of aliens comes, with the League and the Team fighting side by side. Gar is doing well, shifting seamlessly from animal to animal. _Blink_. Crocodile. _Blink_. Elephant. _Blink_. Tiger. _Blink._ Red-tailed Hawk.

Gar is doing well, and, for once, he knows it.

A shrill scream off to his right draws his attention. He sees a woman, her back arched to protect a child. He sees invaders advancing, as she tries to pull her ankle free of rubble.

 _Shouldn't try to save everyone_.

 _Like HELL he shouldn't!_

Beast Boy rushes over and places himself directly in front of the young mother. He refuses to let a family get torn apart. Without thinking, his fury adding fuel to his strength, Gar shifts into his normal self, his green, furry, humanoid self, and punches the alien out.

Shaking his sore fist, Gar realizes that perhaps part of the reason for knowing you shouldn't do something is discovering the courage to do it anyways.

Standing there, helping the grateful young woman to her feet, Gar realizes that he has found his courage.

Found the courage to push past the shouldn'ts and the couldn'ts and the won'ts and the can'ts and the not enoughs.

Gar has always known that being an animal is not a bad thing; it's his strength. The issue has never been accepting the animal; it's been accepting the fear and the uncertainty and the hate that arose off of others due to the animal.

Now, Gar has found the courage he needs.

He is Gar.

Nothing more, nothing less.

 _One_

"Beast Boy, you're leading Beta Squad."

He grins.

He is Gar.

Courageous, mature, intelligent, strong, fast.

 _Animalistic._


End file.
